Legislature’s next round: compromise?
— by John Stang for Crosscut.com —
Gov. Jay Inslee has ordered a second-30-day special session to begin Friday in order to resolve sluggish talks on the 2015-2017 budget for Washington. And Inslee ordered that House Democratic and Senate Republican budget negotiators meet face-to-face daily in his conference room starting Monday — instead of sending paper proposals back and forth.
“We all need to move to the middle for some common sense answers,” Inslee said.
Starting in late March, the House Democrats proposed spending $38.8 billion for the main state budget; Senate Republicans suggested an almost $38 billion plan. The two sides have significant unresolved differences in how the proposals are structured, including which money comes from where. In broad strokes, though, the Democrats look first at what needs to be done, and then they adjust revenues and appropriations to those needs. Republicans first look at what revenue is available, then adjust appropriations to match that income.
The GOP proposes some budget shifts to make its plan work. But Democrats say those shifts are one-time measures that will create problems in 2017, when the Legislature tackles another biennial budget.
(To read the full article, go to crosscut.com/2015/05/legislatures-next-round-compromise )
How exciting. NOT!!! Now they get paid for the regular session AND TWO special sessions! How many everyday employees would get by with not getting their job done and still get paid for it three times?!?
And don’t forget that they all approved a very hefty pay raise for themselves this year as well. Lets hope none of them are teaching an economics class anytime soon!
While the Washington State Constitution clearly provides for the governor to call extra legislative sessions (Article III Section 7), I don’t see where the governor has any constitutional authority to “order” the House and Senate budget folks to meet face-to-face in his conference room.